Alleged killer of Afenifere leader’s daughter, one other test positive for COVID-19 in Ondo

– Akeredolu to explain seven cases today

Less than 24 hours after the Ondo State government confirmed the fourth Coronavirus case, who is a police officer that illegally gained entrance into the state from Lagos State, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has declared three other cases.

The governor, in a statement yesterday in Akure, said that one of the three cases involved the murder suspect of Afenifere patriarch, Reuben Fasoranti’s daughter.

According to him, “we have confirmed three other cases in Ondo State. One of the cases involves one of the recently-arraigned suspects in the murder of Mrs. Funke Olakunrin, Pa Fasoranti’s daughter.”

Meanwhile, four suspects were arraigned before an Akure Magistrate’s Court on Friday for their involvement in the murder of Mrs. Olufunke Olakunrin, though their trial was adjourned to June 3, 2020.

The suspects, Awalu Abubakar (25), Muhammed Shehu (26), Mazaje Lawal (40) and Adamu Adamu (60), were tried for three-count charge of conspiracy to kill, murder and kidnapping.

The presiding judge, Magistrate Victoria Bob-Manuel, in her ruling, granted the prayers of the prosecuting counsel to remand the accused at Owo Correctional Facility after being tested for COVID-19.

Earlier, the prosecuting counsel, who had pleaded that the suspects should not be remanded in Akure Correctional Facility due to congestion but Owo, also insisted that they should be subjected to COVID-19 test to ascertain their health status.

Akeredolu said that the Commissioner of Police (CP) had been duly informed and the line tracing of police officers and others in the SARs facility where the murder suspect was kept had started and their specimens were being collected.

He added that the suspect had been isolated from others and would be moved to the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) for treatment, making it seven cases in the state through the index case has been discharged after testing negative.

The governor announced the fourth case, who is a police officer, on Saturday and it was gathered that one of the three new cases yesterday was also a police officer who drove the fourth case from Lagos State.

“The commissioner of police has assured the state that there will be adequate security around the IDH premises to prevent his escape and while on treatment, he will be manacled to the bed.

“I will expatiate on all cases in my weekly press briefing tomorrow (today),” Akeredolu said.